Upcoming SECO Workshops on New ODE Science Model Curriculum

Do you have an interest in learning about the new ODE Model Curriculum for science? The Science Education Council of Ohio (SECO) is sponsoring free fall workshops, developed with ODE, to complement ongoing introductory seminars at the Educational Service Centers (ESCs). The SECO sessions will:

• provide an overview of the Science Model Curriculum
• promote examples of inquiry-based instruction
• discuss the features and benefits of the Science Model Curriculum

Session locations and dates so far include:

• Cincinnati: Saturday, October 15 from 9am-12pm at Lakota Administrative Offices
• Columbus: Saturday, October 15 from 8:30am-1:30pm at COSI
• Dayton: Saturday, October 15 from 9am-12pm at University of Dayton
• Mt. Gilead: Saturday, October 29 from 9am-2pm at Mt. Gilead High School
• Kirkland: Wednesday, November 2 from 4pm-7pm at Holden Arboretum
• Marietta: Thursday, November 3 from 4:30pm-7:30pm at Marietta College
• Elyria: Tuesday, November 8 from 9am-12pm at Elyria ESC

To learn more about these regional offerings, find one in your region, and to register, go to www.secoonline.org.

Please contact Tracy Cindric (tlkcap@yahoo.com) with any questions.

[Blog post updated 10/23/2011 with new workshop dates]

COSI-SECO Saturday: ODE Model Curriculum Workshop October 15

ODE Model Curriculum Workshop
Saturday, October 15 from 8:30am-1:30pm
COSI, 333 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Join Central Ohio teachers at COSI in Columbus on for a free Ohio Department of Education Model Curriculum Workshop.

• 8:30 am – 11:00 am: ODE Model Curriculum
• 11:00 am – Noon: NASA Connections to Ohio’s New Standards
• Noon – 12:30 pm: Lunch (on your own)
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Safety Training

To register, please call 614.228.2674. Questions? Please contact Mary Ann Wojton.

Please note that parking in lots adjacent to COSI is $5 cash per car.

http://cosi.org/visitors/calendar/?m=10&d=15&y=2011

2011 School and District Report Cards in the News

Earlier this summer, the Ohio Department of Education released the results for the Spring 2011 Grades 3-8 Ohio Achievement Assessments (links to locate OAA scores can be found on this OCESS blog post). This week, ODE released the annual Ohio Report Cards (press release), which grade schools and districts using a range of indicators, including OAA scores. Coverage in the media includes:

• Akron Beacon-Journal: “Some districts still exceed growth expectations despite tougher standard“
  Canton Repository: “Stark schools make the grade on state report cards“
• Cincinnati Enquirer: “CPS takes issue with state’s grad rates“
• Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Northeast Ohio school districts move up and down in Ohio report card rankings“
• Columbus Dispatch: “School results improving on state report card“
• Dayton Daily News: “School results improve on state’s report card“
• Toledo Blade: “Toledo Public Schools holds ranking; test scores move up“
• Youngstown Vindicator: “State plans to toughen academic standards“

District and school report cards can be viewed on the ODE website and through a Columbus Dispatch database.

From ODE: “Ohio Report Cards Show Gains as State Approaches New Era of Higher Expectations”

Columbus, OH – Ohio’s students continue to show steady improvement in their academic performance, but will face higher expectations in coming years as learning standards increase, State Superintendent Stan Heffner said today in releasing the 2010-2011 State Report Card.

“We want to build on the strong academic progress we are making as we move to a more rigorous set of standards that will better prepare Ohio graduates to be college or career ready,” Heffner said. “All Ohioans should be proud of the hard work our students, educators and parents and guardians have undertaken to improve performance.”

The percentage of students scoring proficient on state tests increased on 21 of 26 indicators, with the strongest gains in third-grade math, eighth-grade math and 10th-grade writing. Overall, students met the state goal on 17 out of 26 indicators, one less than last year. The statewide average for all students’ test scores, known as the Performance Index, jumped 1.7 points to 95, the biggest gain since 2004-2005.

For 2010-2011, the number of districts ranked Excellent with Distinction or Excellent increased by 56 to 352. The number of schools in those same categories grew by 186 to 1,769.

Last year, the State Board of Education adopted the Common Core Standards in English language arts and mathematics, as well as the revisions to Ohio’s Academic Content Standards in science and social studies. The standards will take effect in 2014-2015, when a new generation of online assessments will be implemented. The recently passed state budget also included language that calls for a new system to rank schools and districts for accountability and to help school leaders identify best practices.

“We are going to be increasing expectations with a more rigorous system to ensure we are competitive with the world,” Heffner said.

State and Local Report Cards measure the performance of districts and schools using four measures, including the state indicators drawn from academic tests. Other measures include:

• Value-Added results, which show whether students meet the expected one year of growth for students in grades 3-8 in reading and math. In 2010-2011, 79.5 percent of districts and 81.4 percent of schools met or exceeded expected Value-Added gains.
• The Performance Index looks at the performance of every student, not just those who score proficient or higher. In 2010-11, 89.3 percent of districts and 71 percent of schools improved their Performance Index scores.
• Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is a federally required component that measures achievement of each student subgroup, including racial and ethnic components. Half of districts (50.6 percent) and nearly 60 percent of schools met AYP in 2010-2011.

The 2010-2011 Report Card also includes two graduation rate measures. The new method more closely tracks when students transfer to or from a school and will replace a previous method that estimated graduation rates. The different method – required by federal law – is provided for information only and will not factor into school and district rankings until the 2011-2012 Report Card. It shows an on-time graduation rate of 78 percent statewide, compared with 84.3 percent using the existing formula.

Go to www.reportcard.ohio.gov  to read the full State Report Card, along with district and building report cards.

Looking for Resources to Prepare for the Ohio Achievement Assessments?

From ODE: “Multiple Websites for Students and Teachers”

Students and teachers will find helpful information available through the ODE Ohio Statewide Testing website. Through this portal, students and teachers preparing for the OAA or the OGT can access online practice tests, information on the standards and sample student responses to constructed-response questions.

Several ODE webpages include samples of special assessment versions that may aid in providing accommodations to eligible English language learners and students who have allowable individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 accommodations. Samples of the special versions are: large-print test booklets, English audio CDs, Spanish bilingual test booklets, foreign language audio CDs; and language translation scripts. The purpose of these sample materials is to help instructional staff make decisions on selecting appropriate test format materials for students before test ordering deadlines. The special versions are available here.

Applications for ODE Presenters for Standards and Model Curriculum Due August 19

Regional Content Facilitator (RCF)
Ohio Department of Education
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

The Ohio Department of Education is forming a cadre of 30 Regional Content Facilitators (RCFs) per content area to support the goal of helping educators transition into the revised standards and new model curricula. The RCF will conduct 5 regional meetings to deepen the content knowledge of educators and support curriculum revision based on the revised standards. The meetings will begin in late fall 2011 and be completed by June 30, 2012. The RCF must have his/her own laptop, projector and PowerPoint presentation software. The RCF project will extend over the course of the next 3 school years (2011-2014) with the delivery of the meeting content varying each year.

The Regional Content Facilitator will:
1. Receive training from ODE on the roll out of the revised standards and new model curricula. This training will occur in Columbus. RCFs will receive a stipend of $200.00 for attending training.
2. Conduct (5) 2 ½ hour Revised Standards and Model Curricula meetings in 2011-2012 using ODE-developed products and tools.
3. Collaborate with and provide written reports to an assigned ODE content-expert for each meeting.
4. Be assigned to one of the 5 regions of Ohio (Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, Central).
5. Locate free-of-charge facilities and arrange to host regional meetings for Ohio educators and administration. (e.g., public libraries, schools, etc.)
6. Be paid $200 per meeting which includes travel expenses.

Qualifications required:
• Master’s degree in education (preferred in content area)
• 5 years classroom teaching experience (K-12 or higher education)
• Facilitation experience
• Contact information for 3 References
• Flexible schedule

Contact: Anita Bowden for an application. Anita.Bowden@ode.state.oh.us
614-387-2265

Deadline for application submission: August 19, 2011

Call for Applications

Application for Regional Content Facilitator

From ODE: New National Science Education Standards vs. Ohio’s Revised Content Standards

ODE has received questions about whether the Ohio’s revised content standards and model curriculum for science will change because of the development of national science content standards. Both of these documents were completed using national and international research and currently available national documents.

ODE has been involved in the review of the science national standards framework development effort, which is underway at the National Academy of Sciences. An initial framework draft was provided for public review in July 2010. Based upon feedback from this period, it is our understanding that the framework now includes significant changes, but the basic components remain the same. At this time, members of the National Academy of Sciences are reviewing the revised framework document. This additional round of feedback will be addressed and incorporated into the final framework document, which is scheduled for publication early this summer.

Once the framework is published, work will begin this summer to develop national science standards aligned to the framework document. It is anticipated that it will take at least one year before standards are in place. During this time, there will be periods for public review. ODE will continue to closely follow the developments and will provide ongoing communications regarding the alignment between Ohio’s revised science standards and model curriculum with the efforts occurring at the national level.

From ODE: Update on Revised Science Standards and Model Curriculum

The Ohio Revised Science Education Standards and Model Curriculum document for high school has been through the editing process for publication and is posted here on the ODE website. The PreK-8 final document is currently being edited for publication and will be posted soon. The revised science education standards and model curriculum contain valuable information to help in planning for next year. In addition to the podcast that introduces the model curriculum and how it is to be used, there is a seventh grade example to help teachers become familiar with how to use the new document to develop rich classroom experiences in science.

It is important to understand that the strategies, resources and classroom examples in the Visions into Practice section of the model curriculum are not mandatory. These are all idea starters for teachers to begin creating their own lessons and projects. They show different ways to use real data and real investigations to teach the content. The Expectations for Learning section provides information on how deep a child’s knowledge and thinking skills should be after content is taught. The model curriculum is a dynamic document that will continue to be revised and updated with classroom examples and strategies.

The science consultants of ODE and the Science Education Council of Ohio (SECO) are partnering to provide support for teachers as they begin transitioning to the revised science standards and model curriculum. This fall, regional meetings will be held throughout the state to provide further support. Please visit SECO’s website this summer for more information as it becomes available.

From ODE: “Meetings to help in transitioning to revised standards implementation”

Curriculum leaders from all Ohio schools (public and nonpublic) and Educational Service Centers (ESCs) who have not yet attended an ODE spring meeting related to Ohio’s revised academic content standards and model curricula will have another opportunity on June 3. The meeting will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Columbus Northgate Center. Participants, who will be prepared to hold similar local meetings for their teachers, will conduct collaborative planning and learn about the stages outlined in a transition roadmap for the next few years. Also at this session, ODE will gather suggestions for future professional development, related information resources and effective planning strategies. Please note that the spring/summer meetings are updating and expanding content covered during fall meetings on this topic. To register for the June 3 meeting or to express interest in a future meeting date, please contact Lisa Simpson at lisa.simpson@ode.state.oh.us.

From ODE: “Podcast Describes Approved Science Model Curriculum”

A new podcast has been posted that provides answers to questions about the new model curriculum and revised content standards in science. Titled What the Science Model Curriculum Means to Teachers, the nine-minute interview features Kimberly Mullen and Cathy Holmes of ODE’s Office of Curriculum and Instruction. The science podcast, the science model curriculum, an updated set of frequently asked questions and related resources are available by visiting education.ohio.gov and searching for keywords: new science standards. For information on the model curriculum in mathematics, social studies and English language arts, click here or visit education.ohio.gov and click on Academic Content Standards under the Educator heading at bottom.